We love your bunnies almost as much as you do. That's why we make sure that Sherwood Forest Natural Rabbit Food is complete and balanced, full of the right ingredients to ensure great body condition, fur quality and a playful demeanor. Give us a try, you and your rabbits will not be sorry...we promise!

Friday, August 31, 2012

To Oat or Not to Oat?

Rabbits can eat oats and other grains when fed as a part of a balanced diet. However, don't feed them too much because it can cause digestive troubles that lead to diarrhea and bloating.
Generally rabbits should not be fed a diet that has a starch content higher than 11% to 14%. The starch content of every grain is different and varies between 57% (oats) to over 70% (corn). This means that if you feed your rabbit oats or other grains that it should only be a very small part of their total diet. Diarrhea and bloating occurs when too much undigested starch passes into the caecum which is then quickly fermented by bacteria. While a small amount of starch can help to speed the fermentation (digestion) of fiber, too much starch can actually cause a change in pH which results in a change of bacterial populations. These "bad" bacteria thrive on the easily fermented starch and cause digestive troubles. For additional information about rabbit diets go here.